Google to extend work from home until September, eyes 'flexible work week': Report

Google is expected to extend the work from home policy for its employees until September next year, the New York Times said in its report. According to an email obtained by the NYT, Google CEO Sundar Pichai told his employees that the company is also contemplating the idea of a "flexible workweek", which will allow the staff of the tech giant to work three days from the office and the remaining days from home. Pichai in his email reportedly told his employees that the proposed plan is based on the theory that a flexible work model increases productivity among workers. 

Flexible workweek

Flexible workweek varies from the traditional working schedule of 9 to 5 that had been going on before the pandemic hit the world. A flexible workweek allows employees to work from both home and offices with arrival and departure times according to their suitability. 

"We are testing a hypothesis that a flexible work model will lead to greater productivity, collaboration, and well-being. No company at our scale has ever created a fully hybrid workforce model — though a few are starting to test it — so it will be interesting to try," Pichai reportedly said in his email that has been obtained by the NYT. 

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Google was one of the first big corporations to allow its employees to work from home after the pandemic disrupted normal operations earlier this year. The company asked its employees to work from home starting from March and since then it has repeatedly extended the return date of workers. Earlier it was reported that Google will ask employees to return to offices in January and then it was postponed to July and now it is being said that it won't call back workers until September. 

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Google on vax for employees

Pichai in the email did not specify whether Google employees will have to take the COVID-19 vaccine before returning to offices. however, earlier it was reported that Google will make the COVID-19 vaccine available for its employees later in 2021, only after high-risk groups are done with vaccination. According to the NYT, Google has recommended its employees to take the vaccine once they are informed about its availability in their area.

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Governments are rapidly approving COVID-19 vaccines, with some already running mass vaccination campaigns, including the United Kingdom, and Russia. The United States, Israel, Canada, and several other nations have approved a COVID-19 vaccine and are expected to start a vaccination programme before the end of this year.

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